*   *   *   *

*   *   *   *

Last Thursday, March 20, was the Feast Day for St Joseph. This past Tuesday, March 25, was the Feast of The Annunciation. And here we are in mid-Lent, so let’s get right to “St. Joe:”

Christian tradition places Joseph as Jesus‘ foster father… Joseph is not mentioned [at] the Wedding at Cana at the beginning of Jesus’ mission, nor at the Passion at the end. If he had been present at the Crucifixion, he would under Jewish custom have been expected to take charge of Jesus’ body, but this role is instead performed by Joseph of Arimathea…

Which makes you wonder, “Whatever happened to Joseph?” And for that matter, is he a good role model for this and every Lent? Struggling away in obscurity for so many years, and largely remembered today “only” because when push came to shove he set aside some pretty substantial doubts and did the right thing? I’d say so, but let’s get to what little we do know.

For some possible answers, check out Question of Faith: What happened to St. Joseph – Catholic Telegraph, or – for a lot of Bible passages on the issue – What ever happened to Joseph, Jesus’ stepfather? One thing we do know: Joseph is the patron saint of workers, along with fathers in general and also “the dying.” (Those at or approaching death.) As for that “worker” definition, the prevailing view is that he was a carpenter, but the original Greek term was tektōn.

Commonly translated “carpenter,” it can also mean mason, craftsman or a builder in wood, stone or metal. (Not to mention “fabricating and joining.”) In other words, tekton can refer to a highly skilled laborer “adept at doing all kinds of work.” (One theory has Joseph – with Jesus and maybe another son – helping build the massive amphitheater for Herod Antipas at Sepphoris, 3.7 miles from Nazareth.) But the important thing for us is that Joseph “did the right thing,” which included putting up with Jesus when he was a teenager.

Which brings up the question: Did Jesus as a teenager know He was the First-born Son of God? If so, He could see into the future, and know – absolutely – everything that ever was or would be. Yet there He was, stuck in a backwater, hayseed town. Worst of all He had to take orders from older people who didn’t know a fraction of what He knew about “real life.” Of course:

Since every teenager in the world has felt exactly the same way – since the beginning of time – how could the people of Nazareth know this teenager was any different?

But we digress, except to note that those teen years alone were probably enough to earn Joseph a sainthood. Which is also true of Mary, which brings up the The Annunciation.

The full title is Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and it started with the birth of Jesus. Early Church Fathers – thinking backward nine months – figured that since Jesus was born on December 25, He had to be conceived the previous March 25. (A note: late December was about the time that dark winter days started getting lighter again, bringing “great joy and gladness when the sun started returning.” There was also that Roman Saturnalia thing going on about the same late-December, celebrating “a reprieve from death and a return to life.”)

The feast itself celebrates “the announcement by the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus, the Son of God, marking his Incarnation.”

Which brings up another prevailing view, that Mary was all calm and collected when she got this startling news. “Ho hum, no big deal!” But according to Luke 1:29, Mary was “greatly troubled” or “confused and disturbed,” depending on the translation. In the original Greek, Mary was διαταράσσω (diatarassó), meaning to “disturb thoroughly, to agitate greatly, to trouble deeply.” But her look can also be described as terrified: “Look at her facial expression. This is not one of acquiescence or pleasure. This is a look almost of horror at what she has just been told.”

Consider too what Garry Wills said: “For me, the most convincing pictures or sculptures of the Annunciation to Mary show her in a state of panic … shrinking off from the angel, looking cornered by him.” He noted especially some 14th century paintings, “where Mary is made so faint by the angel’s words that she sways back and must grab a pillar to keep herself upright.”

As if that wasn’t enough, Mary got another warning when she presented the newborn Jesus at the Temple. That’s when Simeon told her, “you, Mary, will suffer as though you had been stabbed by a dagger.” (Luke 2:35. Or that “a sword will run through this woman’s heart.”) All that could explain why Mary may have had a look “almost of horror at what she has just been told” by Gabriel. Which is something to meditate during this Lent 2025. (If you’re feeling alarmed, agitated or perplexed at world events going on around us.)

That shouldn’t be a surprise, since trying to be a good Christian has always been a real pain, but “It is to vigor, not comfort that you are called.” On the other hand there’s 1st Corinthians 10:13, “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” Something else to keep in mind…

*   *   *   *

*   *   *   *

The upper image is courtesy of Rossetti Annunciation – Image Results. See also The Annunciation by Dante Gabriel Rossetti – my daily art display:

Take a while and look at Mary’s expression. How do you read Rossetti’s depiction of this young woman? Look at her facial expression. This is not one of acquiescence or pleasure. This is a look almost of horror at what she has just been told. This terrified look adds a great deal of power to Rossetti’s  painting. Mary herself in Rossetti’s painting looks much younger than we are used to seeing in similar scenes. She exudes a youthful beauty but only seems to be a mere adolescent with her long un-brushed auburn hair contrasting sharply with her white dress. She is painfully thin and her hesitance and sad look tinged with fear endears her to us. 

For a fuller view of Rossetti’s interpretation – of Mary “shrinking back,” maybe in terror – see the bottom image at On the Annunciation (2022) – and Mary “shrinking back.”

The Book of Common Prayer reference: The “corporate-mystical” prayer is on page 339, the post-communion prayer for Holy Eucharist, Rite I.

Feast days are designated days on the liturgical (church) calendar “set aside to commemorate events, saints, or doctrines that are important in the life of the Church. These can range from Solemnities, which are the highest-ranking feast days like Easter and Christmas, to optional memorials that celebrate lesser-known saints.” Feast Days: Celebrating the Church’s Calendar.

Re: “Mid-Lent.” This year from Wednesday, March 5th, to Thursday, April 17. (Lent 2025 – Calendar Date.) So we are pretty much in the middle; March 26 or 27, depending on your “reckoning.” Which brings up the Daily Office readings for Monday, March 24. They included Paul’s letter to the Romans (4:1-12), with a lot on how Abraham believed “and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” Which to me always sounded hillbilly-ish, so I finally checked it out. It turns out the Hebrew word “chashab,” a primitive root, is defined as to think, plan, reckon, account, consider, devise, or to “esteem:”

The Hebrew verb “chashab” primarily conveys the act of thinking, planning, or considering. It is used to describe the process of mental calculation or devising plans… In ancient Hebrew culture, the concept of “chashab” was integral to both daily life and spiritual practice. The ability to think and plan was highly valued, as it was essential for survival, governance, and religious observance. The term reflects a worldview where thoughtful consideration and intentional planning were seen as reflections of wisdom and prudence.

(See Strong’s Hebrew: 2803. חָשַׁב.) Which leads to two thoughts: That’s one reason I love blogging. I get to go chase down those educational “Rabbit Trails.” Second thought: The many ways this one word can be translated makes it hard to think literalism is a good way to approach the Bible.

On Joseph as “tekton,” see Carpenters, Builders, and Masons – Bible Hub, What did St. Joseph actually do as a carpenter? – Aleteia, and Was Joseph a carpenter, stone mason or metallurgist?

Re: The Sepphoris project: “Several scholars have suggested that Jesus, while working as a craftsman in Nazareth, may have traveled to Sepphoris for work purposes, possibly with his father and brothers.” See also Sepphoris | Did Jesus ever visit Sepphoris – itsgila.com. As for Herod Antipas, he is not to be confused with “Herod the baby-killer,” also know – perhaps ironically – as Herod the Great.

On the teenager thing see 2014’s On Jesus as a teenager, and 2016’s On Jesus as a teenager – REDUX.

Re: The word translated from Luke 1:29, see Strong’s Greek: 1298. διαταράσσω (diatarassó).

Re: “What Garry Wills said.” See What Jesus Meant: Wills, the 2007 book, an “illuminating analysis for believers and nonbelievers alike … a brilliant addition to our national conversation on religion.” (Said Goodreads.) The quote is from page 1 of my Penguin Books edition, “The Hidden Years.”

Also, for this post I borrowed from St. Joseph’s Day – 2022, and – from 2015 – The Annunciation “gets the ball rolling,” along with later posts such as On the Annunciation (2022) – and Mary “shrinking back,” and On the Annunciation and the end of Lent – 2023.

Re: Luke 2:35. The “sword will run through this woman’s heart” quote came from the translation Wills used. Most other Bible Hub translations say the sword will pierce Mary’s “own soul;” including the King James Bible. (The one God uses.) 

Re: “To vigor, not comfort.” Here’s the full quote on the life of a new Christian:

Hearing now and again the mysterious piping of the Shepherd, you realize your own perpetual forward movement…  Do not suppose from this that your new career is to be perpetually supported by agreeable spiritual contacts, or occupy itself in the mild contemplation of the great world through which you move. True, it is said of the Shepherd that he carries the lambs in his bosom; but the sheep are expected to walk, and to put up with the bunts and blunders of the flock. It is to vigour rather than comfort that you are called.

From Evelyn Underhill’s Practical Mysticism, Ariel Press, 1914, at page 177.

As for 1st Corinthians 10:13, see also Romans 10:9, “that if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Period. No ifs, ands or buts. (In other words, The Prize Is Worth the Price.)

The lower image is courtesy of Annunciation – Wikipedia. The caption:  “The Annunciation – Johann Christian Schröder.” 

*   *   *   *

*   *   *   *

*   *   *   *

Welcome to “read the Bible – expand your mind:”

The Book of Common Prayer says that by sharing Holy Communion, Christians become “very members incorporate in the mystical body” of Jesus. The words “corporate” and “mystical” are key. They show that a healthy church has two sides, with the often-overlooked “mystic” side posing the question, “How do I experience God?” This blog will try to answer that.

It has four main themes. The first is that God will accept anyone. (John 6:37.) The second is that God wants us to live lives of abundance.(John 10:10.) The third is that Jesus wants us to read the Bible with an open mind. (As it says in Luke 24:45: “Then He [Jesus] opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.”) The fourth theme – another one often overlooked – is that Jesus wants us to do even greater miracles than He did. (John 14:12.) 

And this thought ties them together:

The best way to live abundantly and do greater miracles than Jesus is: Read, study and apply the Bible with an open mind. For more see the notes or – to expand your mind – see the Intro.

In the meantime:

“These are the times that try men’s souls.” And that’s not just because we’re starting another season of Lent. But for now, let’s focus on that Lenten period of discipline, fasting and repentance – but mostly as a time for looking ahead to ultimate victory. (And deliverance.) Which brings up a post I did back on April 9, 2017, Psalm 22 and the “Passion of Jesus.”

It noted that Psalm 22 begins, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” We know that part because Jesus quoted it on the cross, as told in Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34: “About the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?'” (In the original Aramaic.) What many don’t realize is that Verse 1 goes on:  “Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?” Which is a feeling many of us can empathize with these days…

But first some background: Scholars think that Psalm 22 was written about 600 years before Jesus was born, in the pre-exilic period; before the Babylonian Exile and so before the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 587 B.C. (Or B.C.E. if you prefer.) Which means Psalm 22 seems to be a bit of foreshadowing, “an indication of what is to come.”

On that note, later in the psalm verse 16 notes, “they pierce my hands and my feet.” (Or feet and wrists, depending on the translation of the Greek word “xeiros.”) This was mirrored in John 19:37, “As another Scripture says: ‘They will look on the One they have pierced.’” (See also Isaiah 53:5, “He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”)

Then there’s verse 18: “They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.”  That verse was mirrored in Matthew 27:35:  “When they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments by casting lots.” (Which sounds like more foreshadowing.)

So, what does all this mean? For one thing it means that despite all the anguish Jesus had to go through, He knew that eventually there would be a happy ending. (“Thinking long-term?”) For another, there’s 1st Corinthians 3:21, “Let no one boast of human leaders,” a thought that could prove useful in those coming days. Then there’s Second Timothy 1:7, “For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.” All of which Jesus showed – power and love and self-discipline – when He faced His own ordeal.

Which brings up the question, “Can we do anything less?” In our own ordeal, whether that’s limited to the upcoming time of Lent, or maybe something beyond that? But back to the basics. Ash Wednesday marks the start of the Season of Lent, about which Wikipedia said:

According to the canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus Christ spent 40 days fasting in the desert, where he endured temptation by Satan. Lent originated as a mirroring of this, fasting 40 days as preparation for Easter.

Lent in turn is a season devoted to “prayer, penance, repentance of sins, almsgiving, atonement and self-denial.” But getting back to Jesus “wandering in the Wilderness” for 40 days, those 40 days mirrored the 40 years the Hebrews also spent “wandering around.” (Led by Moses.) But here’s more good news: Eventually those wandering Hebrews found the Promised Land. In much the same way, after 40 long days of penance, Lent leads us to the much-anticipated celebration of Easter, and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. (“The Lord is risen … Indeed!”)

And here’s another bit of good news. It’s not 40 straight days of self-denial.

That’s because there are actually 46 days of Lent. 46 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. And why is that? Because Sundays don’t count. Sundays in Lent are basically “days off,” when you can still enjoy whatever it is you’ve “given up.” For example, if you’ve given up chocolate for Lent, you can still enjoy some chocolate treats on Sundays during Lent.

But back to the Lenten time of discipline, fasting and repentance. One thing that’s especially hard to practice in these times of polarization is that Jesus was Radical in his love for all people. (Even – as I noted before – for those “real pains.” As Paul noted in Romans 5:6, Christ died for the Ungodly, whoever you think they may be.) Jesus simply never got involved in politics. He focused instead on healing the divisions so prevalent during His time on earth.

Which is the kind of radical love Johnny Cash tried to show. The writer of Cash’s Religion and Political Views said, “I like to think that Johnny was above politics and more about people and peace and happiness and cooperation.” Or as Cash’s daughter Rosanne said, her dad didn’t care “where you stood politically.” He could “love all stripes, and that’s why all stripes claim him.”

Something to contemplate during this Lent 2025, as we look ahead to Easter.

*   *   *   *

*   *   *   *

The upper image is courtesy of 40 Days … Image Results.

The Book of Common Prayer reference: The “corporate-mystical” prayer is on page 339, the post-communion prayer for Holy Eucharist, Rite I.

Feast days are designated days on the liturgical (church) calendar “set aside to commemorate events, saints, or doctrines that are important in the life of the Church. These can range from Solemnities, which are the highest-ranking feast days like Easter and Christmas, to optional memorials that celebrate lesser-known saints.” Feast Days: Celebrating the Church’s Calendar.

Re: The quote “these are the times,” see The American Crisis – Wikipedia, about a series of pamphlets by “philosopher and author Thomas Paine, originally published from 1776 to 1783 during the American Revolution.” The main crisis came in the winter of 1776 (before Washington’s victory at Trenton), when American spirits were low and the cause of American democracy seemed destined for extinction. (Not that there’s any connection to current events.)

Re: Lent. See What is Lent? Guide to It’s Meaning and Purpose – Christianity, and Lent – Wikipedia.

For this post I referred to Ash Wednesday – 2022, and Ash Wednesday and Lent – 2023. And a note: The 2017 post “Passion of Jesus” included details about the crucifixion process, including the “translation difficulty” involving the original Greek word usually translated as hand:  

“The word xeiros, which we translate to ‘hand’ has a wider semantic range.” Then there is the fact that – anatomically speaking – the “bones and tendons of the hand simply do not have the strength to hold the weight of the body without the nail ripping through. The easiest and strongest place to hammer a nail is through the wrist, between the ulna and radius bones.”

The lower image is courtesy of Johnny Cash – Wikipedia. See also Man in Black (song) – Wikipedia. (I borrowed it from the February 2017 post, Moses at Rephidim: “What if?”)

*   *   *   *

*   *   *   *

Welcome to “read the Bible – expand your mind:”

The Book of Common Prayer says that by sharing Holy Communion, Christians become “very members incorporate in the mystical body” of Jesus. The words “corporate” and “mystical” are key. They show that a healthy church has two sides, with the often-overlooked “mystic” side posing the question, “How do I experience God?” This blog will try to answer that.

It has four main themes. The first is that God will accept anyone. (John 6:37.) The second is that God wants us to live lives of abundance.(John 10:10.) The third is that Jesus wants us to read the Bible with an open mind. (As it says in Luke 24:45: “Then He [Jesus] opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.”) The fourth theme – another one often overlooked – is that Jesus wants us to do even greater miracles than He did. (John 14:12.) 

And this thought ties them together:

The best way to live abundantly and do greater miracles than Jesus is: Read, study and apply the Bible with an open mind. For more see the notes or – to expand your mind – see the Intro.

In the meantime:

Monday, February 24, 2025, is the Feast of St. Matthias, the Apostle who replaced Judas:

[A]ccording to the Acts of the Apostles, [he] was the apostle chosen by the remaining eleven apostles to replace Judas Iscariot following Judas’ betrayal of Jesus and suicide.  His calling as an apostle is unique in that his appointment was not made personally by Jesus, who had already ascended to heaven, and, it was made before the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the early Church.

See Saint Matthias – Wikipedia. (Note that this St. Matthias is not to be confused with St. Matthew, the Gospel-writer whose Feast Day is September 21.) He is also called “Unremarkable Matthias” or the “Overlooked Apostle.” See The Overlooked Holy Apostle, Matthias.

Isaac Asimov described how Matthias became an Apostle:

Peter arranged to have a new individual selected to take the place of Judas Iscariot in order to bring the number of the inner circle back to the mystical twelve that matched the twelve tribes of Israel. Two were nominated, Joseph Barsabbas and Matthias. To choose between the two, lots were used, as told in Acts 1:26, “and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.” Neither Joseph Barsabbas nor Matthias are mentioned anywhere else in the New Testament.

Since there’s no other mention of Matthias in the Bible, we know next to nothing about him. But there are theories. For example, Wikipedia suggested that “Matthias was originally Zacchaeus.” (Remember, the tax collector Zacchaeus who climbed a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus? He had a hard time both as he was short and because of the crowd of people.)

So, was Saint Matthias really Zacchaeus, who fell from a sycamore tree?

Whatever the answer, the now-defunct article – Overlooked Apostle – went into great detail about how much Matthias suffered – and how he ultimately died. Like, he preached in Macedonia and Ethiopia, where “the heathen dragged him over the ground, beat him, hung him from a pillar and tore his stomach with an iron blade and burned him with fire.” Another town he preached in was a “city of the man-eaters,” cannibals. When Matthias came in “the men of that city took hold of him and thrust out his eyes and made him drink poison and sent him to the prison where he sat for thirty days waiting to be eaten and die.” But the Lord appeared to him and got his eyesight back for him, as well as other prisoners who’d suffered the same fate. The site also said Matthias was rescued by the Apostle Andrew; “as Andrew approached the gates of the prison, the doors opened of their own accord.” (But see also Matthias the Apostle – Wikipedia, which said “information concerning the ministry and death of Matthias is vague and contradictory, and that Hippolytus of Rome said Matthias “died of old age in Jerusalem.”)

That Wikipedia account may be true but it’s also a whole lot more boring! (And which indicates how internet users need to Lateral Read and check sources, including but not limited to claims seeming outrageous – or “not boring.”) Getting back to the now-defunct “Overlooked” article, it said eventually Matthias returned to Galilee where he was stoned to death. “The Jews, filled with malice and anger, seized Matthias and presented him to the High Priest, Annas.” The High Priest, who “hated all Christians and was responsible for the death of James, the first bishop of Jerusalem, ordered that Matthias be stoned.” One point of note: Overlooked Apostle said that when Matthias was taken to be stoned, he cried out, “You hypocrites, rightly did the Prophet David speak to those like you: ‘they shall hunt down the soul of the righteous man, and the innocent blood shall they condemn.’” (Which sounds strangely pertinent these days.)

After Matthias spoke these words, two witnesses who claimed he’d blasphemed picked up stones to be the first to stone him. But first, Matthias asked that these stones be buried with him as a testimony of his suffering for the Lord. So they stoned him to death, and as an added insult, also beheaded him to express that he was an enemy of Rome. So whether St. Matthias died by being first stoned and then beheaded, or had his eyes gouged out, then “sat for thirty days waiting to be eaten and die,” the lesson is: Being an apostle was no piece of cake!

Another lesson? Maybe there’s a reason the “Overlooked” piece is NOW DEFUNCT, but the main point remains: Trying to be a good Christian has never been a “piece of cake.” (And these days it’s mostly a pain in the ass.) As to who was Matthias, and how did he die? That’s one puzzle we Good Christians can work on this Lent. (As a spiritual discipline?) There’s also that whole controversy, “should I judge my fellow Christians?” I’ll explore that topic in a near-future post, in which I’ll revisit the March 2019 post, On the Bible’s “dynamic tension,” featuring Charles Atlas. 

Stay tuned…

*   *   *   *

*   *   *   *

The upper image is courtesy of Saint Matthias – Wikipedia. The caption, as noted: “‘St Matthias’ (c. 1611) by Peter Paul Rubens.“

The Book of Common Prayer reference: The “corporate-mystical” prayer is on page 339, the post-communion prayer for Holy Eucharist, Rite I.

“Feast days” are designated days on the liturgical (church) calendar “set aside to commemorate events, saints, or doctrines that are important in the life of the Church. These can range from Solemnities, which are the highest-ranking feast days like Easter and Christmas, to optional memorials that celebrate lesser-known saints.” Feast Days: Celebrating the Church’s Calendar.

Bibliography for this post: 2015’s On St. Matthias – and “Father Roberts”,” 2017’s The “Overlooked Apostle,” Ruth and Mardi Gras, and 2022’s St. Matthias, Zacchaeus, and the tough life of an Apostle.

Re: “Isaac.” The quote is from Asimov’s Guide to the Bible (Two Volumes in One), Avenel Books (1981), page 998. Asimov was “an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000 letters and postcards.” His list of books included those on “astronomy, mathematics, the Bible, William Shakespeare’s writing, and chemistry.” He was a long-time member of Mensa, “albeit reluctantly; he described some members of that organization as ‘brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs.’” See Isaac Asimov – Wikipedia.

Re: That “mostly a pain in the ass” comment. Which may be true of this earthly incarnation, but there is that “you have already won your game of life” part. (John 6:37 and Romans 10:9.)

The lower image is courtesy of Dynamic Tension Charles Atlas – Image Results. See also Dynamic Tension – Wikipedia, and Charles Atlas – Wikipedia.

*   *   *   *

As noted in the opening blurb, this blog has four main themes. The first is that God will accept anyone. (John 6:37, with the added, “Anyone who comes to Him.”) This is a consistent theme throughout the Bible. From the Old Testament, Psalm 9:10, “You never forsake those who seek you, O Lord.” (In the Version in the Book of Common Prayer.) The second is that God wants us to live abundantly.  (John 10:10.) The third is that we should do greater miracles than Jesus. (John 14:12). A fourth theme: The only way to do all that is read the Bible with an open mind:

…closed-mindedness, or an unwillingness to consider new ideas, can result from the brain’s natural dislike for ambiguity. According to this view, the brain has a “search and destroy” relationship with ambiguity and evidence contradictory to people’s current beliefs tends to make them uncomfortable… Research confirms that belief-discrepant-closed-minded persons have less tolerance for cognitive inconsistency…

So in plain words, I take issue with what I came to call “Christian first graders.” Those who stay in a kind of elementary school, and maybe even never go beyond first grade. See John the Baptist, ’24 – and “Christian First Graders,” for more detail. But the key point: “The Bible was designed to expand your mind,” not keep it narrow. Also, the idea that “Jesus was anything but negative. His goal was for you to grow and develop into all that you can be.” (For more on that see ABOUT THE BLOG, above.)

Before that post I wrote that the blog takes issue with boot-camp Christians, the Biblical literalists who never go “beyond the fundamentals.” But the Bible can offer so much more than their narrow reading can offer…  (Unless you want to stay a Bible buck private all your life…) Now, about “Boot-camp Christians.” See for example, Conservative Christian – “Career buck private?”  The gist of that post is that starting the Bible is like Army Basic Training. You begin by“learning the fundamentals.” But after boot camp, you move on to Advanced Individual Training.” 

However, after boot camp, you move on to Advanced Individual Training. And as noted in “Buck private,” one of this blog’s themes is that if you want to be all that you can be, you need to go on and explore the “mystical side of Bible reading.*” In other words, exploring the mystical side of the Bible helps you “be all that you can be.” See Slogans of the U.S. Army – Wikipedia, re: the recruiting slogan from 1980 to 2001. The related image at left is courtesy of: “toywonders.com/productcart/pc/catalog/aw30.jpg.”

Re: “mystical.” Originally, mysticism “referred to the Biblical liturgical, spiritual, and contemplative dimensions of early and medieval Christianity.” See Mysticism – Wikipedia, and the post On originalism.  (“That’s what the Bible was originally about!”) See also Christian mysticism – Wikipedia, “In early Christianity the term ‘mystikos’ referred to three dimensions, which soon became intertwined, namely the biblical, the liturgical and the spiritual or contemplative… The third dimension is the contemplative or experiential knowledge of God.” As to that “experiential” aspect, see also Wesleyan Quadrilateral – Wikipedia, on the theological reflection method using four sources of spiritual development: scripture, tradition, reason, and “Christian experience.”

For an explanation of the Daily Office – where “Dorscribe” came from – see What’s a DOR? 

*   *   *   *

*   *   *   *

*   *   *   *

January 25, 2025 – Last Saturday, January 18, was the Feast Day for Peter confessing. This Saturday, today, is the Feast for Paul converting. That’s different from the mid-summer – June 29 to be exact – when one Feast Day celebrates the two Apostles together. But here on the other side of the church year – in the bleak midwinter – we remember the two men separately:

On January 18 we celebrate the Confession of Peter:  “Thou art the Christ, Son of the Living God.”  A week later on January 25 we celebrate the Conversion of St. Paul.  Then comes June 29, when we celebrate both men…

One point of remembering Peter and Paul separately is that these two “Pillars of the Church” took completely different paths to the same destination. (“All roads lead to Jesus?”) And often had what may be called “spirited” disputes. See Galatians 2:11-14, and especially Galatians 2:11, “When Peter came to Antioch, I told him to his face that he was wrong.” Then there’s 2d Peter 3:16, where Peter described Paul’s unique and often wordy way of writing:

He writes this way in all his letters, speaking in them about such matters. Some parts of his letters are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.

As for me, I’ve often thought Paul “writes like a lawyer,” what with his long non-stop sentences that stretch into full paragraphs, and I’m not the only one: “Admittedly, some of Paul’s writings are complicated and difficult to understand. Peter himself said as much.” 

As for the different paths to the same destination, Peter was one of the original 12 disciples, and the first “to confess Jesus as Messiah.”  (See the matching accounts in the three Synoptic Gospels: Matthew 16:13-20, Mark 8:27–30 and Luke 9:18–20.) On the other hand, Saul of Tarsus – later “Paul” – started out as the most ardent enemy and persecutor of the early Christian Church. (Acts 8:3: “Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.”)

In other words, Peter came to his position of authority from “inside the church.” Paul on the other hand was pretty much dragged kicking and screaming into his position of authority.

In plain words, Paul’s Damascus Road experience “changed him from a Christ-hating persecutor of Christians to the foremost spokesman for the faith.” (Wouldn’t it be nice if God could intervene that way today, in a way that would bring more people to Jesus? “Is that a pig flying?”)

But seriously, once upon a time in America the most ardent politicians did feel free to “sup with their enemies.” Like Ronald Reagan and Ted Kennedy, at left. They were able to do that despite intense political viewpoints. For example, Kennedy said of Reagan:  “He’s absolutely professional.  When the sun goes down, the battles of the day are really gone.” Or as one writer said, Kennedy learned from experience to “operate within the politics of symbolism:”

Heated rhetoric was part of the game of government. When the day was over, win or lose, everyone could have a drink together.*

Then there was Ronald Reagan and Tip O’Neill. As one site noted, despite equally intense political differences, President Reagan and House Speaker O’Neill offered a model of political friendship, despite those starkly different ideologies. That was especially evident after the assassination attempt. O’Neill was one of the first people Reagan let in to see him at George Washington University Hospital. When O’Neill entered the room he walked over to the bed, “grasped both the president’s hands, and said, ‘God bless you, Mr. President.’”

The president still seemed groggy … with lots of tubes and needles running in and out of his body. But when he saw Tip, he lit up and gave the speaker a big smile, and said, ‘Thanks for coming, Tip.’ Then, still holding one of the president’s hands, the speaker got down on his knees and said he would like to offer a prayer for the president, choosing the 23rd Psalm.” Then O’Neill kissed Reagan on the forehead.

Another tidbit: Reagan often answered O’Neill’s calls, “Tip, is it after 6 p.m.?” The point being that Reagan and O’Neill might fight like cats and dogs during work hours, but “after 6, these two enemies enjoy each other’s company.” So, wouldn’t it be wonderful if making America great again meant a return to those “traditional family values?” On the other hand you might say that’s all part of being a good Christian. (Romans 5:6 and Matthew 5:44.)

Which leads to this question: What would happen if two American conservative and liberal politicians today could likewise come together and work for the common good? And that brings up the topic of being “restored.” That can mean bringing “back to health, good spirits, etc.”  Or “to bring back to a former, more desirable condition.” Say what you want about the bad old days, they never seemed to be this bad. (Or is that just another Old Geezer speaking…)

Which brings up 2017’s “Wouldn’t it be nice if WE could be ‘restored?’” Which ended with this:

Wouldn’t it be nice if we too – here in America – could also be “restored?” To a time when people of all types and backgrounds worked together for the common good?

Which should be one big job of a good Christian. 2d Corinthians 5:18: God “reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” Along with bringing more people to Jesus, not driving them away, so from where the sun now stands let there be “Happy Reconciling.” And getting back to an America where more politicians act like Tip and Ron…

*   *   *   *

*   *   *   *

The upper image is courtesy of www.canvasreplicas.com/Rembrandt.htm.  See also Two Scholars Disputing by REMBRANDT Harmenszoon van Rijn.

The Book of Common Prayer reference: The “corporate-mystical” prayer is on page 339, the post-communion prayer for Holy Eucharist, Rite I.

“Feast days” are designated days on the liturgical (church) calendar “set aside to commemorate events, saints, or doctrines that are important in the life of the Church. These can range from Solemnities, which are the highest-ranking feast days like Easter and Christmas, to optional memorials that celebrate lesser-known saints.” Feast Days: Celebrating the Church’s Calendar.

For this post I borrowed from Peter confesses, Paul converts (2016), and – especially – from 2017’s “Wouldn’t it be nice if WE could be ‘restored?'” Along with On Saints Peter and Paul, January ’23, and Paul gets his sight back, Peter confesses – 2024. See also Peter, Paul – and other “relics.” 

Also, for future review see “Some hard parts about being a good Christian,” from last October, 2024.

On Paul’s style of writing, “Admittedly…” See Understanding Paul’s Difficult Scriptures…

Re:  Heated rhetoric as “part of the game.” (Of politics.) See On Reagan, Kennedy – and “Dick the Butcher,” in  my companion blog.  The Reagan-Kennedy photo is courtesy of boston.com/bigpicture … ted_kennedy. The caption:  “Senator Edward Kennedy talks with President Ronald Reagan, left, on June 24, 1985, as they look over an American Eagle that graced President John F. Kennedy’s desk during a fund raising event for the John F. Kennedy Memorial Library at McLean, Virginia.  (AP Photo/Charles Tasnadi).” The quotes – of Kennedy and Reagan, and about Kennedy and “heated rhetoric” – are courtesy of Battle for Justice: How the [Robert] Bork Nomination Shook America, by Ethan Bronner, Anchor Book edition (1989), at pages 103-104. 

The Ronald Reagan and Tip O’Neill quotes are from the GodBuddies website, Men Helping Men Become Better Men. (Geez, what a radical idea.) The full link adds – of Reagan and O’Neill, A Real-life Friendship. See also restored, from the Free Dictionary.

The link From where the sun now stands refers to Nez Perce Chief Joseph’s resolve to “fight no more forever.” (It just sounds poetic.) But here it means to never stop fighting, by every legal means, to preserve America’s democracy and true Christian freedom. (Okay, I’m climbing off the soap box now…)

The lower image is courtesy of the Ronald Reagan and Tip O’Neill link in the main text. 

*   *   *   *

*   *   *   *

*   *   *   *

Last Thursday, August 15, was the Feast Day of St. Mary the Virgin, in the Episcopal Church and others. See 2014’s St. Mary, Mother, and Mary (mother of Jesus) – Wikipedia:

She is identified [as] the mother of Jesus through divine intervention. Christians hold her son Jesus to be Christ (i.e., the messiah) and God the Son Incarnate. Mary (Maryam) also has a revered position in Islam, where a whole chapter of the Qur’an is devoted to her, also describing the birth of Jesus. . .  [She] is considered by millions to be the most meritorious saint of the Church. Christians of the Catholic Church[,] Anglican Communion, and Lutheran churches believe that Mary … is the Mother of God and the Theotokos, literally “Bearer of God.”

But looking back five years, to 2019, I talked about her special day in St. Mary, “Virgin,” and more on Jerusalem. The post talked about a three-week pilgrimage to Israel in May that year, and especially about my second full day in Jerusalem. And brought back lots of memories:

For starters, we arrived Saturday night [May 11] and the driver from St. George’s College [and Pilgrim Guest House] got us quickly through the dreaded Israeli security at Ben Gurion airport [in Tel Aviv]. But then had a tough time finding my lodging on Al-Isfahani Street [in Jerusalem]. Later, after settling in my new room, at 4:10 that morning I heard what I took to be an explosion. It was actually a cannon, marking the start of another day of Ramadan. (The idea is to give people a chance to eat and drink before the all-day fast.)

That Sunday I wandered Jaffa Street and found a great place to eat, the BeerBazaar, but I’m getting ahead of myself. I was part of a group of 20 people from our local church, rounded out by another 20 pilgrims from around the world. We were there for the Palestine of Jesus course, “a 14-day study pilgrimage focusing on the Scriptures, sites, and landscapes associated with Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.” (Plus some days before the course exploring Jerusalem on my own, then a day or two getting up to Tel Aviv and exploring it before heading home.) 

So what the heck does that 2019 pilgrimage to Jerusalem have to do with Mary’s August 15 feast day? Just that Kenneth Clark for one spoke of her as “supreme protectress of civilisation … the human mother in whom everyone could recognize qualities of warmth and love and approachability.” And that she represents an “ideal of beauty and mediator between man and God.” Such that beginning in the 12th century Europeans from all walks of life cooperated in building the cathedrals that were her “earthly abode.” So for that brief time in history, “All hearts were united and each man forgave his enemies.” In plain words, Mary [is] the Model of Charity.

But I didn’t see a whole lot of charity during our visit to Bethlehem on the afternoon of Thursday, May 16, 2019. We ended the day at the Wall of Separation, also called the “Israeli West Bank barrier.” And in an ironic twist, the Wall in Bethlehem passes right by the “Walled Off Hotel.” See Banksy′s hotel with ′the world′s worst view′ opens in Bethlehem, which said this:

“With a play on words on the luxury Waldorf Astoria chain, this place is called the Walled Off Hotel, because it was built almost immediately next to Israel’s separation wall in the Palestinian-ruled city where Jesus Christ was born.”

Which of course was Bethlehem, where Jesus was born and from which “God’s love, mercy, righteousness, holiness, compassion, and glory” were expressed in Him. But seeing “that Wall” in Bethlehem I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. And who knew it could get worse?

Later that night I did some reflecting on the day’s events, and especially the last visit. “I was tempted to conclude that the road to both freedom and spiritual enlightenment seems to be littered with dumbasses along the way. But hey, that wouldn’t be Christian.” Which I suppose is another way of saying that both Jesus and His mother Mary have been working overtime in the years since 2019, and that they could use a lot of help from us down here!

In the meantime in September of 2019 I could look forward to my visit to Portugal. And this year have I have another pilgrimage to look ahead to – to get all “Jesus-upped” – back to Spain and the Camino Finisterre. Which leads me to echo what I said after that May 16, 2019 visit:

Hopefully I won’t find any “Walls of Separation…” 

*   *   *   *

*   *   *   *

The upper image is courtesy of Mary (mother of Jesus) – Wikipedia. See also Mary’s spring in Ein Kerem – BibleWalks.com, and Ein Karem – Wikipedia, about more cheerful places we visited in Israel. Another note:  In Renaissance paintings especially, Mary is portrayed wearing blue, a tradition going back to Byzantine Empire, to about 500 A.D., “where blue was ‘the colour of an empress.’” Another explanation is that in in Medieval and Renaissance Europe:

[T]he blue pigment was derived from the rock lapis lazuli, a stone imported from Afghanistan of greater value than gold.  Beyond a painter’s retainer, patrons were expected to purchase any gold or lapis lazuli to be used in the painting.  Hence, it was an expression of devotion and glorification to swathe the Virgin in gowns of blue.

The Book of Common Prayer reference: The “corporate-mystical” prayer is on page 339, the post-communion prayer for Holy Eucharist, Rite I.

“Feast days” are designated days on the liturgical (church) calendar “set aside to commemorate events, saints, or doctrines that are important in the life of the Church. These can range from Solemnities, which are the highest-ranking feast days like Easter and Christmas, to optional memorials that celebrate lesser-known saints.” Feast Days: Celebrating the Church’s Calendar.

For this post I borrowed from On St. Mary, Mother (2014), and 2019’s St. Mary, “Virgin,” and more on Jerusalem. (That post noted that the Walled Off hotel “included a bar, where I enjoyed another Taybeh Palestinian beer.”) See also St. Mary, 2020 – and “Walls of Separation,” On the Annunciation (2022) – and Mary “shrinking back,” and last year’s Mary’s Visitation and Jefferson’s Monster – 2023. (Also from 2019, On my first full day in Jerusalem.) 

Re: Kenneth Clark, the noted British art historian, museum director, and broadcaster. He created the 1969 TV series, Civilisation.  The references herein are from the book version, at pages 58 and 175.) I cited Clark’s take on pilgrim journeys in the March 2019 post, “On to Jerusalem!”

The full “charity” link is Mary as the Model of Charity – Benedict XVI – Crossroads.

Re: The visit to Portugal. The full link is Just got back – Portuguese Camino! And for more on the upcoming trip to Spain see The Transfiguration – 2024.

Re: “To get all ‘Jesus-upped.'” What my non-religious brother said of my planned trip to Israel.

I took the photograph at the end of the main text. 

*   *   *   *